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Home › Internal pressure on EU to take more action over Japanese whale slaughter

Internal pressure on EU to take more action over Japanese whale slaughter

29 March 2016 - 2:11pm

Following pressure from a group of MEPs, the EU Parliament´s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has submitted a formal question to the European Commission and European Council asking if there will be any further condemnation of Japan by the EU over the Japanese government’s decision to resume research whale hunts in Antarctic waters over the next 12 years.

The Japanese whaling plan would see a total of nearly 4,000 whales killed during that time, prompting the ENVI Committee to highlight that the hunts are in breach of international law, that scientific research no longer requires the slaughtering of whales, and the slaughter undermines marine ecosystems.

The ENVI is to ask the EU Commission and Council if they are considering any additional moves to put pressure on Japan such as legal action to ensure that Japan complies with international law.

The only action taken by the EU to-date has been to make a formal political protest (demarche) regarding Japan’s decision.

The Japanese whaling fleet returned last week after the first of these hunts. Over 330 minke whales had been killed, including 230 females - 68% of whom were pregnant.